First Floating Solar Farm to Be Set Up in Iran's Khuzestan

Iran plans to develop its first floating solar power plant at the Karkheh Dam in Khuzestan Province, a senior energy official said, as part of a broader scheme to add 171 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity in the southwestern region.

“Building a floating solar power plant in Karkheh Dam can, in addition to electricity production, play an effective role in reducing water evaporation from this dam,” Alireza Parandeh Motlaq, deputy of technical and engineering at the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA) said, as reported by IRIB News on Monday.

Motlaq also said the construction of 171 MW of solar power energy, as well as the 2 MW floating farm, would be launched during a two-day visit by Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi to the province on Tuesday.

The projects are expected to cost about US$35 million. They are part of the government’s initiative to install 7,000 MW solar power plants nationwide. Motlaq said that additional facilities are also underway to support local grid stability.

“A 3 MW farm and two plants of 9 MW each have also started in the province and will help enhance the daytime stability of the Khuzestan power grid,” he said. The expansion comes as President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government aims to install 30,000 MW of renewable energy capacity over the next three years amid an expected power shortfall next year.

According to the Energy Ministry, Iran is projected to face a power deficit of 17,000 MW next year. The government has also urged industries to step up investment in solar power. Mohsen Tarztalab, head of SATBA and deputy energy minister, said on Friday that nearly 3,000 MW of renewables have been constructed under the Pezeshkian administration, with more than half developed through direct private sector investment and the remainder through participation of the National Development Fund. - Iran Daily